The Backgammon Challenge

Spoiler Alert.

If you don’t want to read the whole sorry tale, Debbie wins on the last day by taking both games.

Debbie while cleaning out a closet found a backgammon set. Thus was born the Great Backgammon Challenge of 2011-2012. We’ll keep track of who wins each game[1] over the winter, and on the first day of Spring 2012 (March 20th) the winner of the most games gets to name their prize.

I am confident of victory, despite having had to build a fence around our back garden the last time I entered into one of these challenges.

Date

Debbie

Chuck

Notes

12/13/11

1

1

12/14/11

1

1

Debbie slaughtered me in the 2nd game. I only had two pieces borne off when she finished.

12/16/11

0

2

12/18/11

1

1

12/19/11

1

1

Debbie hammered me brutally in the first game. I barely squeaked out a victory in the second. I’m not feeling confident.

12/20/11

1

1

12/21/11

2

0

12/22/11

0

1

1/4/12

1

1

I almost gammoned Debbie tonight in the first game!

1/30/12

2

0

1/31/12

1

1

Debbie won the second game tonight only through some unholy pact that let her roll doubles 3 times in a row at the end.

2/1/12

1

1

2/1/12

0

2

2/10/12

1

1

I’m glad no one was counting how many times I said, “bleep it” tonight. The dice were being very cruel.

2/16/12

1

1

2/20/12

2

0

2/21/12

1

1

Debbie rolled doubles 3 out of her last 4 rolls to make a game that should’ve been a walk-off for me way too close.

No one is giving an inch as we rush towards the March 20th conclusion.

3/10/12

1

1

Debbie rolled double 6’s, twice, at the end to win the second game. Not that I’m bitter or claiming I would’ve won except for her freakish luck.

3/11/12

1

1

Debbie’s freakish ability to roll doubles when needed is starting to creep me out. On the other hand, maybe a trip to the craps tables in Vegas is in order…

3/12/12

1

1

Ok, some have challenged me on my constant whining about Debbie’s freakish ability to roll doubles. So tonight I kept count: Debbie rolled 9 doubles, I rolled 3. I know, I know, that proves nothing. I’m just saying…

3/13/12

0

2

We both rolled 8 doubles tonight.

3/17/12

1

1

Debbie rolled 8 doubles, I rolled 6.

3/18/12

2

0

Debbie rolled 8 doubles in the first game and I rolled 1.

3/19/12

1

1

This is nothing unusual, but Debbie rolled double 6’s to win the first game.

3/20/12

2

0

The penultimate day, and Debbie snatches victory from jaws of defeat by winning both matches. The first she won in the usual manner by rolling 5 doubles to my 1. But she won the second despite only rolling 2 doubles to my 3.

Total

32

31

1.Everything we know about backgammon we know by reading a set of instructions translated by someone who didn’t know much English, and didn’t care to learn any more. What we are playing probably only coincidentally resembles regulation backgammon.